An inn at the old crossing
The building associated with the former Ship Inn later formed part of Browns Farm. It must not be confused with Coleford's separate New Inn. Parish research places Thomas Peters and Anna Maria at the Ship Inn around 1849, before their connection with the New Inn from about 1854.
The railway brings new faces
Construction of the North Devon Railway in the early 1850s brought navvies into the district. Some lodged at the Ship Inn; a later local account recalls the possibility of sleeping on straw in an adjoining building for a penny a night. That detail belongs to village recollection rather than a complete lodging register.
In January 1853, a disturbance at the inn became a court case. The parish account records that Constable John Okeford, called to restore order, was injured. The episode offers a rare view of village life when new railway workers were passing through.
From public house to farm
As the railway works ended, the inn's role changed; the name Browns Farm endured in the village's working landscape. Understanding precisely how the property, its tenants and buildings changed requires the census entries and estate records together.
There is considerably more to the Ship Inn than one dramatic incident — and far more to Browns Farm than its former sign.
Sources and historical notes
This introduction draws on original Colebrooke parish research and the records identified below. Where a detail depends on local recollection or later reconstruction, the text says so. These references allow readers to examine the evidence behind this introduction. Fuller accounts are available in the parish histories.